


Alone on Alternia

by DJVennalyn



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Ancestors, F/F, F/M, Homestuck Ancestors, M/M, Multi, Other, disc and psii are pals who love to antagonize each other, rosa will do literally anything for her children, sign is literally the sweetest child ever, this is canon but i aspire to write it in new ways that make you cry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-12
Updated: 2016-06-12
Packaged: 2018-07-14 14:01:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7174742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DJVennalyn/pseuds/DJVennalyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A testimony to the life and times of the Signless and all that he caused.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alone on Alternia

Being hatched as a jadeblood meant a predestined future underground caring for the mother grub. It meant enforced femininity and countless errands running back and forth in the catacombs where wrigglers were hatched and given trial, and it meant never getting to see the light of the moon. It was, despite its’ drawbacks, and incredibly rare and prestigious class to be hatched into. Porrim Maryam, a troll of thirteen sweeps where we begin this tale, was born with jade blood flowing through her veins. She was tasked, among few others, with caring exclusively for the mother grub during her time on Alternia. She took to her job with dedication, and carried out each task precisely. 

At this time, the mother grub was recovering from a particularly taxing breeding cycle. The grubs were all pupated or in the process of, and were undergoing their trials throughout the caverns. Porrim had been sent on a routine post-pupation task to retrieve the remnants of the cocoons. The majority of them should have been eaten by the grubs for nutrients, but certain parts left over were to be brought to the mother grub for her to eat. The shards needed would be found hanging from stalactites and on the ground beneath them. As one of the tallest jadebloods, Porrim had been selected for the task. It took skill, as she needed to avoid interfering with any trials occurring and also avoid any roaming lusii who would be more than happy to devour her whole. 

Porrim had spent nearly an hour collecting the membranes when she first heard the cries. Crying grubs were not unusual, it was how they attracted their lusii. Porrim knew she would have to be especially careful as she made her way past this grub. She took a wide berth, and kept a careful eye out for any approaching lusii. Seeing none, she paused in confusion. The grub should be emitting a hormone post-pupation that, combined with its’ wailing, would attract a lusii of the proper blood colour posthaste. But its’ cries had continued for some time and carried far into the cavern, and a lusii had yet to claim the grub or even set it on its path to its trials. Casting another cursory glance around the nearby caverns, Porrim confirmed that there were no lusii nearby before creeping closer to the crying grub.  
At first, upon seeing it laying there in the shards of its cocoon, Porrim had thought her eyes were deceiving her. The grub was a shade of bright red, far brighter than any colour on the hemospectrum. As a caretaker of the caverns, Porrim had seen every blood colour in the hemospectrum, including recently a fuschiablood which wasn’t expected to live long once Her Imperious Condescension discovered her. In all that time, this was a colour she had not even see close to. “This grub will never find a lusii, it is doomed to die regardless of what it does.” she murmured, her grip tightening on her woven handbasket. If it continued its crying, it would be devoured by another lusii or left for death and turned into an exceptionally beautiful colour of paint for an indigoblood to use if she had to guess. Porrim felt a tightness in her chest, and found her feet moving towards it seemingly of their own accord. Upon reaching the grub, she gently shushed it and ran a hand soothingly down its’ back. It ceased crying and looked at her, its’ too-large black eyes framed by messy curly hair. She felt something inside of her breaking down as she stared at it, and reached a decision. 

Lifting the flap of her handbasket, she nestled the small grub into the flexible cocoon shards, adding his into the mix as well. Porrim gave him a brief rub between his horns before gently closing the lid over his head. Turning and walking briskly in the opposite direction of where she had come from, Porrim mulled over her options in her head. ‘It is impossible for me to return to the mother grub, attempting to raise a grub at the convent would be signing its’ death warrant once again, and potentially my own. Holding my own in the caverns is hardly an option, that will only get us both killed as well. My only option seems to be escape to the surface and attempt to live topside.’ Porrim worried her lip with her teeth. She had never been allowed to come even near to the planet proper, and would hardly know what to do once she was there. Regardless, it was her only option at this point. Abandoning the grub was an option she refused to entertain even for a moment. Seeing it there, alone and crying, seemed to awaken in her some maternal instinct long buried in her genetic code. It was telling her she needed to do everything in her power to keep this young grub safe, and that she would.

Porrim walked on for another hour and a half, stopping periodically to hide from roaming lusii or other jadebloods on similar missions to her own. Each time she feared that the young grub would begin to cry, and each time she feared they would be found. Her heart was racing as she neared one of the many exits to the caverns, clear golden moonlight streaming through. She had unwittingly picked to walk to the smallest and least-used entrance, which was by extent least guarded. During this particular season luckily, guards were not posted at the exits so that lusii and their new charges could exit unimpeded. Porrim could feel her heart pounding in her ribcage, and all of her well-bred troll isntincts were telling her to turn back and abandon what she was doing. To conform. Yet a stronger, more persistient instinct was telling her to get as far away from the caverns as she could, and to bring the young grub with her. 

She listened to the more persistent one. Throwing her shoulders back and doing her best to look every part like a jadeblood on a mission for the mother grub who was supposed to be here, Porrim strode out of the caverns, wincing slightly in the bright light she was unaccustomed to. Upon crossing the boundary of the exit, she half expected blaring sirens and leering subjugglators, but there were none. The caverns opened into a large clearing at the edge of a vast forest. Porrim glanced one last time behind her into the caverns and peeked at the gently sleeping grub in her handbasket before turning forwards and walking fearlessly into the forest, her mind made up. She would see this grub live to adulthood.


End file.
